Box Score

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV softball (14-10) completed a sweep of its four-game set at its own Rebel Classic Sunday behind a 6-3 victory over the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (6-19) at Eller Media Stadium. The home side struck early with four first-inning runs and never looked back en route to its seventh win in its last nine tries.

Moments after UCSB squandered an opportunity with runners in scoring position and only one out in the top of the first, the Scarlet & Gray capitalized on its chances to score in the home half of the frame. UNLV had runners on first and second with one out when three consecutive batters were able to connect on run-scoring hits. Merina Ili kicked it off with an RBI double down the right-field line before Alyssa Cordova upped the score to 2-0 with an RBI single. Brooke Stover followed those hits with a two-run double to cap the four-run first.

The Gauchos answered back with a single tally in the second when a fielding error allowed Samantha Stark, who led off with a single, to score from second.

After three straight scoreless frames, the Rebels tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth after loading the bases. UCSB's Alex Pingree (4-4) did herself no favors when she began the stanza walking Brooke Stover and hitting Fahren Glackin with a pitch. Jade Yadao-Valdez followed those at-bats with a fielder's choice that was coupled with a throwing error to third that helped juice the bags. Blando then stepped up and hit an RBI single to the second baseman that brought in one score and, subsequently, a pitching change.

Ashley Ludlow entered in relief of Pingree and struck out the first batter she faced before Samantha Juarez hit a seeing-eye single through the right side for an RBI.

The Gauchos made the game a little interesting in the seventh when two of their own - Kristen Clark and Jaqueline Hinojosa - connected on consecutive singles. Kwyn Cooper (6-3) fielded Hinojosa's base hit, but threw wildly to first. Both Clark and Hinojosa came around to score when the ball bounded into right-field foul territory.

Following the miscue, Morgan Ettinger was called in to relieve, but gave up a single to the first batter she faced. She rebounded and by getting three consecutive outs to preserve the win and notch her third save of the season.

UNLV hits the road for the first of two weekends in "America's Finest City." The Rebels will participate at the San Diego Classic II in Santee, Calif., which runs March 13-15. They'll square off against Connecticut (9:00 am) and Weber State (2:00 pm) Friday (March 13) before facing New Mexico State (March 14/11:30 am) and #9/10 Baylor (March 15/9:00 am).

NOTES: UNLV's four-game winning streak is the first since the 2014 squad reeled off four from March 21-28 with three coming against Nevada, Reno and one versus San Jose State ... UNLV improved to 11-3 on the year when it scores first in a game an 9-3 when it scores in the first inning ... UNLV is 11-2 when leading after four innings ... Ettinger moves into an eight-way tie for sixth place in the program's history in single-season saves.